eInside Events

Kent State Offers First Look at Proposed Designs for New Architecture Building

Design concepts for the new College of Architecture and
Environmental Design building will be presented to the public
on Jan. 17 by the four finalists in the design competition.

The four finalists in the competition to design the new building for Kent State University’s College of Architecture and Environmental Design will present their design concepts at a public presentation Thursday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m. The event, which is free and open to the public, takes place on campus in the University Auditorium in Cartwright Hall, located at 650 Hilltop Drive in Kent.

“Students, faculty, staff, alumni, Kent community members, professionals in architecture, interior design and other design professions, or those who have an interest in those areas, as well as the general public, are all invited to get a first look at what these world-class firms have developed for our new architecture building,” says Kent State President Lester A. Lefton. “This is an exciting time for Kent State as we transform our campus with new buildings and renovations and serve as a partner in the redevelopment of downtown Kent.”

The new architecture building is part of the university’s campus transformation, called “Foundations of Excellence: Building the Future,” which involves the construction of new buildings, facility upgrades and establishment of dynamic, new spaces. The goal of this initiative is to create the most outstanding academic experience for students, faculty, staff, alumni and the greater community enriched by the university.

The estimated cost of the new architecture building is $40 million. Currently, Kent State’s architecture program is housed in three separate structures. The new building will unite the college under one roof, and its new home will be located between Lincoln Street and Haymaker Parkway on the Kent State University Esplanade, a pedestrian walkway through campus that is currently being extended into downtown Kent, Ohio.

The four finalists who will present on Jan. 17 are:

• Bialosky + Partners Architects, with offices in New York and Cleveland, in association with Architecture Research Office of New York
• Richard L. Bowen + Associates Inc. of Cleveland in association with Weiss/Manfredi of New York
• The Collaborative Inc. of Toledo, Ohio, in association with the Miller Hull Partnership of Seattle
• Westlake Reed Leskosky, with offices in Cleveland and four other cities
  

The evening informational forum is an abbreviated presentation to the public of what the four finalists are presenting to the selection committee earlier that same day. The formal presentations to the selection committee will include design concepts, sustainability data and a cost estimate.

“It will be tremendously exciting to see how the four architecture firms conceptualize our college’s new home,” says Doug Steidl, dean of the College of Architecture and Environmental Design at Kent State. “During the two-month period between when the firms were notified that they were finalists and the Jan. 17 presentations, the four firms had opportunities to gather input from our students, faculty and staff members through Web surveys, interviews and informal conversation sessions. The open dialogue sessions offered valuable insight as to what our constituencies need and want in a new building, so I’m anxious to see what the finalists have come up with to meet those requirements and requests.”

Those who are interested in seeing the proposed building designs and hearing from the architecture teams can attend the event in the University Auditorium, watch it live online via webcast or see the presentations later at their convenience.

“For those unable to attend or make it to the University Auditorium, we have arranged to have a live webstream of the event as well as an archived recording so people can watch it online at their leisure,” says Michael Bruder, director of design and construction at Kent State’s Office of the University Architect. “We know this design competition is of great interest to many.”

Following the Jan. 17 presentations, the sustainability data provided by the finalists will be analyzed and their cost estimates will be reviewed by independent sources while the presentation materials are further evaluated by the selection committee to determine the winning design scheme.

The winner of the competition is expected to be announced in February 2013.

To watch the live webstream of the four finalists’ presentations on Jan. 17 from 7-9 p.m., go to https://ksutube.kent.edu/watchlive.php?playthis=5049.

For more information about Kent State’s College of Architecture and Environmental Design, visit www.kent.edu/caed.

For more information about Kent State’s campus transformation called “Foundations of Excellence: Building the Future” and the design competition for the new architecture building, visit www.kent.edu/foundations.

Participate in the MLK Day of Service

Kent State students make beds at the Haven of Rest
homeless shelter during the 2012 MLK Day of Service.

Kent State University faculty, staff and students are invited to participate in the MLK Day of Service marking this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The day of service will take place on Monday, Jan. 21, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Participants will engage in service to a variety of nonprofit organizations in the area. Breakfast, lunch and transportation to service sites will be provided.

The day of service will begin at the Cohn Jewish Student Center (Hillel at 613 E. Summit St.). Breakfast will be served after which participants will go to the various service sites, which include Habitat for Humanity, Coleman Professional Services, Campus Kitchen at Kent State, Haven of Rest and many more.

Click here to register and participate in the day of service.

For additional information, contact Liz Bosworth or Shiri Akrish at MLKjust4Aday@gmail.com.

Kent State Kicks Off Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration With Black and Brown Dialogue On Jan. 15

Kent State University’s Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and the Kent State Latino Networking Caucus will host the Black and Brown Dialogue that kicks off commemorative events marking Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The engaging discussion will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 15, at 7 p.m., in the Kent Student Center Kiva. The event is free and open to all.

Kent State President’s Ambassador and renowned Cleveland-area attorney José Feliciano will speak at the event. The discussion will center on African American and Latino communities in relation to King's legacy, and key civil and social justice issues facing the country today.

Panel members include Kent State’s Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management T. David Garcia, and Professor of Pan-African Studies George Garrison.

"This event will give students an opportunity to hear from individuals who faced some of the same kinds of challenges many students of color are encountering today in college,” Garcia says. “In addition, the format of this event allows for students to share their concerns or thoughts about their college experience. The Black and Brown dialogue is an excellent opportunity for all of us, regardless of ethnicity, socioeconomics or background, to come together and reinforce the necessity to help each other overcome challenges in order to graduate from college.”

For more information about Kent State’s 11th annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration and commemorative events, visit www.kent.edu/mlkevents.

The Game of Life Interactive Inequality Simulation Holds Jan. 23

Event marks Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at Kent State

The Game of Life, an interactive inequality simulation, will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 23, at 5 p.m. in Room 310B at the Kent Student Center. This event is open to all Kent State faculty, staff and students, and is meant to be an immersion-style game played with real people, real emotions, but fake money.

The Game of Life event is part of activities marking Kent State’s Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. The event is co-sponsored by the College of Education, Health and Human Services’ Office of Diversity Outreach and Development, LGBTQ Student Center, Student Multicultural Center, Office of Global Education and Residence Services.

“The Game of Life is similar to the board game, but acted out by the participants and the simulation actors. It is a way for individuals within our community to gain a greater awareness of the inequality that exists within our society. It is really a hyper-play on the stereotypes and acts of discrimination that occur around issues of sexuality, gender, race and ability level,” says N. J. Akbar, director of the College of Education, Health and Human Services’ Office of Diversity Outreach and Development.

There will be several cohorts going through the simulation, therefore, if you want to participate, plan to arrive between 5 and 6 p.m.

For more information about this event, contact Akbar at nakbar@kent.edu.

Call for Black History Month Celebratory Events

Kent State students model designs during the Modista
Fashion show held during Black History Month.The Modista
Fashion Group unifies minority fashion major students and
others by giving back to the fashion community through
service.

Black History Month comes up in February, and Black United Students, along with other campus groups, are putting together a calendar of events to celebrate. Together with the Department of Pan-African Studies, Black United Students have planned a series of programs and activities celebrating African American heritage.

The events will help to educate members of the Kent State University community about African American heritage, promote inclusion and understanding of different cultures and enhance social and leadership development among student participants.

“As in the past, we want to be as inclusive as possible,” says Jason Washington Jr., president of Black United Students. “All student organizations, university departments, individuals and community representatives are encouraged to submit scheduled events and program dates to be included on the Black History Month calendar.”

To be listed on the calendar, provide the name of your organization/department and events or activities with times, locations and a brief description to Washington at jwashin8@kent.edu by Jan. 14.

Main Street Kent 2013 Chocolate Walk

Participating downtown Kent businesses
will hand out chocolate goodies during the
2013 Chocolate Walk on Feb. 9. Advance ticket
purchase is required for participants.

Main Street Kent announces the 2013 Chocolate Walk, which will take place in downtown Kent on Saturday, Feb. 9, from 1-5 p.m. Tickets are now on sale and must be purchased in advance at $15 per person. Two hundred tickets are available and can be purchased online at www.mainstreetkent.org or in person at McKay Bricker Framing & Gallery. This is a rain, snow or shine event and tickets are nonrefundable. All proceeds will benefit Main Street Kent.

The day of the event, ticketholders will go to Earl's Nest (located in Acorn Alley) to pick up their Chocolate Walk "passes" and bags to collect their chocolate goods. Then, at their leisure, they can go to each of the participating businesses to gather a chocolate surprise at each one.

Just in time for a pre-Valentine’s Day activity, people can take a loved one out for the afternoon or grab a friend and enjoy this excursion in downtown Kent. It is a great opportunity to explore some of the new places in Kent, as well as the classics. To date, participating businesses have included the following: Arctic Squirrel, Baked in the Village Café, Bent Tree Coffee Roasters, Carman and Pugh Photography, Downtown Gallery, Empire, FJKluth Art Gallery, Gracy Lane, HOME International Markets, Laziza, McKay Bricker Framing and Black Squirrel Gifts, Off the Wagon, Pita Pit, Pufferbelly, UniversiTees, Wild Earth Outfitters and more.

Main Street Kent is a non-profit organization focused on the revitalization of downtown Kent. It is an affiliate of the national Main Street program and the Heritage Ohio program.